


A different kind of magic.

by Lady_Zephyrine



Category: Dragon Quest Series, Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Also Veronica is a butt, Gen, Implied spoilers, Sick Character, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:15:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21842044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Zephyrine/pseuds/Lady_Zephyrine
Summary: Erik is sick and Eleven isn't sure how to help. That's when Serena steps in.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 32





	A different kind of magic.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was supposed to be something else, but I just wanted these dorks to have a sleepover.

Eleven was laying in bed, he was staring up at the ceiling. Truth be told, he was always a bit of a worrywart. Sometimes, the others liked to poke fun at him for it, but he couldn't help himself.

Now...he was on the Salty Stallion, and everyone else was already in bed. Eleven usually shared a room with Erik, but tonight, his friend wasn't doing too good. Ever since they got on the ship, Erik hadn't been feeling well. It was nothing too bad at first, he would get a slight headache that would pop up here and there. But now, he could barely sit up. And whenever he coughed it sounded like he was hacking up a lung. He was curled up next to Eleven, facing the wall. Even now was shaking despite hogging most of the blanket.

"Erik," Eleven whispered while sitting up, "Are you still awake?"

"Uh...yeah?" Erik said in a raspy voice. He started to move. But as he did, he started coughing violently. His hair was a complete mess.

"I suppose I shouldn't ask how you're feeling, huh?" Eleven said while helping his friend sit up.

"Well...I've felt worse," Erik said while grinning. "I mean...could you imagine if we were still in that dungeon?"

"I...don't think I would've lived that long," Eleven said quietly. "But I get the idea."

Erik nodded in response, though he gave Eleven a concerned look. "Are you sure you don't want me to sleep on the floor, though? I don't want you to get sick, too."

"I'd...rather you didn't," Eleven replied sternly.

"But Eleven, I'm dying!" Erik teased as he leaned against Eleven's shoulder. Eleven shook his head as he put a hand on his friend's forehead. "You DO seem a bit warmer than you did before, though. I knew I should've bought some herbs back in Puerto Valor."

Erik's only response was a shrug. He was about to speak, but he started coughing once again. Eleven rubbed his back until the coughing fit was over, this was all he could really do for him at that moment.

"OK, this is...really startin' to hurt!" Erik said with a pained expression.

"Do you think Heal might work might on something like this?" Eleven asked. 

"...You can try," Erik replied. With that said, Eleven's hands started to give off a green glow. He casted a spell to "heal" Erik, hoping that it would work. "Is that any better?"

Before he could answer, Erik started coughing yet again. Eleven gave him a defeated look. "I'll take that as a no, then..."

"Don't...don't worry about it," Erik said, smiling. "Like I've said, I've felt worse."

"If...If you say so."

The boys' heads perked up as they heard someone knock on the door. A feminine voice came from the other side.

"Hello? May I come in?"

"It's open," Erik said weakly. He put a hand on his chest to keep himself from coughing again. Walking into the room was a young woman with long blonde hair and a green dress, it was Serena.

"We could hear you coughing from the other room, Veronica insisted that I check on you two."

Erik tilted his head. "She did, huh?"

"Well," Serena rubbed the back of her head. "It was more like... _' **If I have to listen to that idiot cough one more time, I'm burning him to a crisp'!"**_

"Yep...that sounds like Veronica all right," Eleven replied. Erik couldn't help but laugh, though he jumped as he heard a bang coming from the other room.

_**"I CAN HEAR YOU GUYS!"** _

The group just...stared at the wall for a moment until the boys looked back at Serena.

"So sorry about that," Serena said while bowing. She walked over to the bed and placed a hand on Erik's forehead. "And are we feeling any better, tonight?"

"Uh...No!"

"I tried to use Heal on him, but that didn't work," Eleven added. Serena replied with a sigh. "Well of course it's not going to work, there's only so much you can do with healing magic I'm afraid."

"So is there any kind of magic that could help at all?" Eleven asked.

"Hm..." Serena placed a hand under her chin and closed her eyes, she was trying to think. "You know...It may not be considered magic to some, but whenever Veronica and I had gotten this sick, we would always have some tea and honey to help make things a little better. And when we couldn't sleep, we'd sit around and tell each other stories." As she opened her eyes, she looked at Erik. "Would you like some tea?"

"Uh...sure?"

"And what about you, Eleven?" Serena asked. "Would you like some tea as well?"

"Yes, please," Eleven said politely. Serena smiled as she headed out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, leaving the boys alone once again.

"You know...I think I got what she was trying to say," Erik said.

"About what?" Eleven replied.

"About that 'magic' she was talking about...I can tell you right now that I didn't have the best childhood growing up." Erik shifted a bit as he crossed his arms. "But I DID know someone who used to give me whatever food and medicine she could find whenever I got sick. Things would get rough on her when I wasn't around, but I can't tell you how many times she's yelled at people just so I could spend the day sleeping."

Erik was smiling fondly as he had recalled that memory, though Eleven wasn't sure who "she" was. Was she his mother? An aunt perhaps? Usually, Erik wasn't one to share stories like this, so it was probably better just to go along with what he was saying.

"Would she ever try to make you stew?" Eleven asked. "That's what Mum would always make for me when I wasn't feeling well."

Erik let out a weak laugh. "Nah, she couldn't cook...but Derk would always make something whenever I got sick, too."

Before Eleven could ask anything else, Serena came back with a tray in her hands. She walked over and placed the tray on the bedstand. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine," Erik replied. "Eleven's been keepin' an eye on me while you were gone."

"But of course," Serena said as she grabbed one of the teacups and handed it over to Erik. "Here you are."

Erik accepted the teacup while Serena started handing another one to Eleven. Once everyone had their tea, Serena sat down on the bed with them. Eleven talked about the time an old friend of his taught him how to make pumpkin pie, Serena talked about the time she and Veronica swapped lives for a week without anyone noticing, and Erik...he was mostly content with listening to the other two talk.

"So to put a long story short, that is why we haven't swapped clothes since then," Serena said. "But it was fun while it lasted."

"But did that boy ever chose between you two?" Eleven asked. Serena shook her head, "No...He actually seemed pretty angry when he found out."

"Yeah, well...You didn't need him, anyway." Erik said bitterly. He sounded exhausted, he could barely keep his eyes open. Serena grabbed the teacup from his hands and placed it back onto the tray. "Perhaps...now's a good time to get some sleep?"

Eleven let out a sigh, "I suppose so...It is getting late, after all."

"So then...are you going back to your room, Serena?" Erik asked.

"Well..." Serena started to blush a little, "I was hoping I could stay in here for the night...just in case you two needed something?"

Erik looked at Eleven. "Like I said earlier, I could always sleep on the floor."

"Nobody's sleeping on the floor," Eleven said sternly. "Besides...there's enough room for one more person."

"All right," Erik moved closer to the wall before curling up under the blanket. "But I don't wanna hear it if she falls off."

Eleven smiled as he rolled his eyes. He moved closer to Erik while Serena curled up against Eleven's other side.

"You know? This feels just like a sleepover," Serena whispered. Eleven nodded in agreement, "It does."

"Well I suppose I shouldn't be keeping you two awake any longer," Serena said with a yawn. "Good night."

"Good night."

"Night," Erik said weakly, as if by habit. And thus, as time went on, Eleven was staring at the ceiling once again. All had gone silent aside from his friends' breathing and the occasional cough coming from Erik. But compared to earlier, Eleven didn't seem to be as worried as he was before, Erik was comfortable and Serena was just happy to be here. 

...Perhaps this was the kind of magic Serena was talking about? Just being comfortable surrounded by friends? Because if that was the case. then Eleven happily welcomed it. Besides, things weren't always going to be easy while they were on this adventure, so it was better to enjoy these moments whenever he could.

* * *

"Serena!? Have you been in there all night!?"

"Come on darlings, it's time to wake up!"

Eleven groaned as he tried to sit up. His head was spinning and his joints were aching, he could barely move. He glanced at his sides for a moment. Serena was fine, though she was sitting next to him with a dazed expression. Meanwhile Erik was still curled up against him, he was making the same pained expression as Eleven.

The trio jumped as the door flew off its hinges. Standing at the doorway was a little girl, Veronica and a circus performer, Sylvando. The latter of the two didn't look too happy with the former.

"Was it REALLY necessary to do that, honey?"

"Well? They should've just answered me already."

"Would you _PLEASE_ shut up?" Erik said in an attempt to yell. Eleven nodded in response, the bickering was becoming too much for them to handle.

"I'm so sorry, Veronica," Serena said as she slowly stepped out of bed. "I just wanted to stick around in case they needed something from me."

Veronica sighed. "I guess that's fair, Eleven's not looking too hot himself."

"What?" Eleven responded, "But I was just-"

Eleven began to let out a nasty cough. As he did, Sylvando walked over to him and placed a hand on his forehead.

"Oh, honey...you're burning up," Sylvando said with concern. He then placed a hand on Erik's face. "And you're not doing any better, either."

"Right...I should probably tell Rab and Jade that they're not getting out of bed today," Veronica said as she walked out of the room. Sylvando gently laid Eleven down and tucked him in, "And I'm going to make you guys some breakfast."

"I'm going to go make more tea," Serena said as she grabbed the tray off of the nightstand, "I'll be right back."

With everyone leaving the room, Eleven couldn't help but lay there with an annoyed expression. Erik nudged his arm, "I told you I should've just slept on the floor!"

"And I told you 'no'."

"Yeah, well...I guess we're just gonna have to suffer together."

"I guess so!"

Erik let out a weak laugh as he shifted a bit, his face was buried into a pillow. "I hope this goes away soon, though."

"I hope so, too."

Eleven wasn't expecting everyone to go easy on him today, since he had more important things to do. But considering that he was going to be on this ship for a couple more days, it couldn't hurt to relax a bit. After all, the whole team was keeping an eye on him and Erik at this point.


End file.
